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Minister, ICPC, Others Decry Rise in Sexual Harassment in Pry, Secondary Schools
* Say only decisive action can end menace
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Ohaneye Kenny; Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practice and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN); representatives of various institutions and other stakeholders in the education sector have lamented the rise in incidents of sexual harassment in primary and secondary schools across the country.
The stakeholders, who raised the concern at a one-day national stakeholders engagement on sexual harassment prevention in Abuja Tuesday, observed that until there is heavy consequences for offenders, the menace would continue to be on the increase.
The event, which was organized by the ICPC in collaboration with the Gender Mobile Initiative, is aimed at ensuring that the Model Policy for Tertiary Institutions does not end up like many others that needed to be adequately implemented.
The minister who sought for concerted effort in curtailing the menace, observed that sexual harassment is not relegated to tertiary institutions alone, but even in primary and secondary school often carried out by teachers and sometimes among pupils.
She disclosed that some of the measures been put in place to discourage the act include the establishment of mobile courts for proper prosecution of alleged perpetrators.
Besides, she stated that the ministry is also working in collaboration with hotel owners to deny access of under-aged children from lodging and reporting of any of such attempts to curb the terrible sexual harassment problems.
Meanwhile, the ICPC chairman, Aliyu, stressed that: “Only a consistent, persistent, focused and united campaign can ensure that the challenge of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions is decisively addressed.”
He recalled that ICPC had a few years ago, in line with its commitment to addressing all forms of corruption, including abuse of office via sexual harassment, with the support of the Ford Foundation, executed a project aimed at curbing this societal malaise.
“One of the expected outcomes of that project was the drafting of model anti-sexual harassment policies for various levels of educational institutions. It is sadly interesting to note that sexual harassment, though more notorious in tertiary institutions, is quite rampant in primary and secondary institutions too,” he said.
He disclosed that the Commission in the spirit of partnership, engaged Gender Mobile to draft a model policy for tertiary institutions, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education approved the policies for the primary and tertiary institutions.
The ICPC boss however warned participants to always keep in mind that anyone, irrespective of status, designation or gender, staff or student, can be a victim of sexual harassment.
“Likewise, anyone could be a perpetrator,” he said.
Aliyu pointed out that the success of this initiative largely depends on the active participation and commitment of all stakeholders.
Also speaking, the Founder and Executive Director, Gender Mobile Initiative, Omowunmi Ogunrotimi, stated that the policy is a product of extensive community engagement.
“We really look to moving this forward from here because we know in Nigeria, when policies are made, they do not automatically translate into implementation.
“That is why we have drawn from far and wide, over 25 commissioners of education to participate in this programme.
“From this point, we can start thinking about institutionalization processes at national level, so that commissioners of education can embed this into their own state measures, to see that every higher institution in their state can be free from sexual harassment, especially from the prevention lens, and not the response lens,” she said.
